Automatic railway-switch.



M. L. BRANNEN.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED AUG-I5. l9l6.

1 ,278,840. Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

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INVENTOR ATTORNEY nu: non/us PEIERS ca. Puomurum, wasnmamu. n, c.

M. L. BRANNEN. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15 I916.

Patented Sept. 17,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- m cfi INVENTOR 7 WITNESSES ATTORN EY us ca. Pncm-uma. WAsnlNG UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN II. BRANNEN, 0F MINEOLA, GEORGIA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Application filed August 15, 1916.

' and for. resetting the switch pointstooriginal: position. automatically after the train has-passed. a given point.

Another object of the'invention is to pro vide a train actuatedswitch mechanism having the characteristics above noted, and in addition thereto manually operable means for actuating theswitchpoints with a locking connection. betweenv the automatic and the manual means whereby, upon actuation of the automatic means, the manual means will be released. from connection with. the said automatic means, thereby permitting actuation of the switch points; and. when the manually operated means is actuated, disengaging the, same from connection with the automatic means. and permitting actuation of the switch points by the manual means. 1

In-additionto the foregoing, my invention comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of.

parts to be hereinafter described and particularlypointed out in the appended claim.

In theaccompanying drawings, in which similar and corresponding parts are desig nated; by the same characters of reference throughout theseveml views in which they appear:

Figure 1, is a view in plan of a section ofrailway. track and a portion of a switch frog, illustratingthe application of my invention thereto. c

Fig. 2, is a detail section takenonthe line 2;.2 of Fig. 1.

H ,llig. 3, is a. similar View taken on the linea-eorni 1.

.Fig. 4,. is a view in front elevation of a guide; for direct ng a trip arm beneath the 55. locomotive intoengagement with a member monntedebetweenz the: rack Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 115,053.

Fig. 5, is a vertical sect-ion taken through the manually operable switch stand.

Fig. 6, is a detail view in side elevation of the trip armbeneath the locomotive, illustrating its applicationthereto, and

Fig. 7, is aiview in front elevation of the Patented Sept .1'7, 1915. l

mechanism illustrated in the preceding figure. I

With reference to the. drawings, 1 indicates the track rails, 2 the switch .points pivoted at 3 to members of the switch frog,

and connected by a bar 4: for insuring simul taneous movement of the switch points as they are moved, toward one or the other; of the track railstoopen or close the mainline.

A movable rail 5 is disposed incontiguous relation to'one of the track rails, and is sup ported upon one end of levers 6 pivoted at intermediate points to the. ties, and permitting movement of said rail toward and away circle and in one continuous movement. The end of one of the levers 6, opposite to that end whichsupports the rail, is connected by means of a link 7 to one arm 8 of a bell crank, pivotally mounted at 9 to a tie, with its other arm 10 disposed substantially parallel to the track rails, or preferably at a slight angle thereto. superposed guiding strips 11 arelocated above the arm 10 of the bell crank, and are formed upon a plate 12,

porting a vertically movable rod 16, connected at its upper end to a bell crank 17 pivotally mounted in a bracket 18 depending. from the locomotive,-said bell crank being in turn connected by means of a link 19 to suitable operating mechanism (not shown) for imparting a reeiprocatory movement to the link, and located in the locomotive cab. A roller 20 is. mounted upon a horizontal extension 21 upon the lower end of the rod 16, the terminal thereof having a roller 22 mounted thereon for rotation in a horizontal plane. As a train approaches the switch points, the roller 20.01? themechanism just described is adapted to pass between the superposed plates 11, and in this manner dispose the roller 22 on the rod 16 for engagement with the arm 10 of the bell crank lever m ntioned, above,

It will be O s.

from its adjacent track rail, in the are of a,

vious that upon such engagement the bell crank is moved toward a position which disposes the arm 10 thereof parallel to the 'track rails, thereby exerting a pull upon the link 7 moving the rail 5 toward its adjacent rail, and then away, in the arc of a circle, all in one continuous movement.

The intermediate portion of the rail 5 is supported upon a lever 23 similar to the lever 6 but having its other end pivotally connected to a rod 24, having formed therewith at its opposite terminal a yoke member 25 having a shoulder 26, and a connecting bar 27. The said rod 24 is mounted for sliding movement in a guide 28 mounted upon a cross tie, and a coil spring 29 is interposed between said guide and the shoulder 26. The yoke 25 is located closely adjacent the switch points and at right angles to the connecting rod 4. A locking arm 30 is mounted for pivotal movement at one end thereof upon a bracket 31 forming a part of the bar 4, said locking arm extending parallel to said bar and having upon its free terminal a lateral enlargement 32 for a purpose to be presently noted. A bell crank 33 is mounted for rotation upon a cross tie with one arm 34 extended transversely of' the rails and extending through the yoke 25 to the left of the bar 27. The other arm 35 of the bell crank is formed with a notch 36 in its terminal adapted for engagement at times and to receive a pin 37 formed laterally upon the locking arm 30.

The locking arm 30 extends through a yoke 38, and is adapted for engagement with the end of a rod 39 mounted for sliding movement within the yoke 38 and having a shoulder 40. A coil spring 41 encircles said rod, and is interposed between the shoulder 40 thereof and the end of the yoke to urge the rod into engagement with said locking arm. The yoke 38 is formed with an ex tension 42, forming a pivotal connection" with the arm 34 of the bell cranak 33, in such a manner that the yoke is moved or reciprocated in a direction parallel to the track rails upon rotation of the bell crank.

A switch stand 43 is mounted upon cross ties adjacent the switch points after the usual manner, and in the present instance the switch stand is formed with vertical frame bars 44 connected at their upper ends and intermediate portions with horizontal members 45 forming bearings for a sleeve 46. The sleeve 46 forms a part of a cylinder 47 which is provided with a spiral opening 48. The sleeve and cylinder are adapted for vertical sliding movement in the bearings and within the spaceformed by the frame members, the cylinder being held against rotary motion by means of a lug 49 formed upon one of the frame members and adapted to extendinto. a vertical groove formed in the side wall of the cylinder. A

' ously vertical shaft 50 is journaled adjacent its lower end in the switch stand, and extends through the sleeve 46 and is provided at its upperend with the usual signaling vanes 51. An arm 52 is extended at right angles from the shaft 50 and has pivotally connected to its terminal at 53, a handle member 54. The lower end of'the shaft 50 is formed with a crank portion 57 to which is connected a rod 58 extending transversely of the track rails, therebeneath and with its terminal formed with an upturned portion 59 adapted to be engaged in a notch 60 formed in the enlargement 32 of the locking arm 30 described above. The sleeve 46 of the switch stand is connected at its lower end to a depending arm 61 pivotally connected at its lower end to an arm of a bell crank 62. The other arm of said bell crank is connected to a link 63 which extends transversely of the track rails and is pivotally connected to the arm 35 of the bell crank 33.

It will be apparent that if the shaft 50 1s rotated by means of the handle 54, a lateral extension 58 from said shaft which extends through the spiral opening 48 of the cylinder 47, during its rotation in a horizontal plane, will cause the said cylinder and consequentlythe sleeve 46 thereof to move vertically. Vertical movement of the arm 61 occasioned by the movement of said sleeve,

causes a horizontal reciprocation of the link V 63 through the medium of the bell crank 62.

tion to pass between the guide strips 11, and

the rail.5 is moved toward and away from its adjacent track. railin the manner previously described. Incidental to such movement of the rail 5, the rod 24 is moved to the left thereby withdrawing the yoke 25' from its normal engagement with'the looking arm 30, against the compression of the spring 29. As the arm 30 becomes disengaged by the yoke, the said arm is swung to the left by the force of the spring 41 acting through the rod 39, thereby disengaging the enlargement32 from the end of the rod 58 and in turn permitting the engagement of the lateral pin 37 in the notch 36 formed in the end of the arm35 constituting partof the bell crank 33; Continued movement'of the rod 24 causes engagement of theconnecting bar 27 of the yoke 25 with the arm 34 of said bell crank 33, and thebell' crank is thereby rotated sufliciently to produce trans verse reciprocation of the locking'ar'm 30 and consequently the switch points owing to the connection thereto of the bar 4 towhich the locking arm 30 is pivoted. Simultanewith this movement of the mechanism, the link '63 is shifted, thereby raising the cylinder 47 which in turn rotates the shaft 50, and thereby positions the signaling vanes 51 to indicate the condition of the switch mechanism. The flanges of the car wheels having by this time entered the space between the rail 5 and its adjacent track rail, return of the movable rail to original position is prevented as long as the train continues to pass, and the switch mechanism will consequently be retained in set position. mechanism will obviously be returned to original position inasmuch as when the rail 5 is released the rod 24: will be shifted longitudinally to the right under the influence of the spring 29 so as to engage the head 26 of the yoke 25 against the arm 34 of the bell crank 33. Rotation of the bell crank 33 will act to move the switch point back to normal position inasmuch as the lug 37 of the bar 30 will still be engaged in the bifurcated portion 36 of said bell crank until the parts have reached such a position as to permit the spring 29 to laterally move the arm 80 to disengage said lug from the bifurcated portion whereupon the parts will be returned to the position shown in F ig. 1.

Should occasion require the manipulation of the switch points by means of the switch stand, the handle 54 thereof is grasped to rotate the shaft 50, and initial movement of said shaft serves to first slightly rotate the bell crank 33 through the medium of the link 63, thereby moving the yoke 25 to the left just sufficient to relievepressure upon the locking arm 30, but not suflicient to permit movement of the locking arm out of engagement with the terminal of the arm 58. urther movement of the arm causes reciprocation of the arm 58 through the medium of its connection to the crank portion 57 of the shaft 50, and-owing to the engagement of the terminal 59 in the notch 60 of the enlargement 32, said locking arm 30 is likewise reciprocated and consequently the switch After the train has passed the points. A lever 65 may be pivoted to a cross tie and one arm thereof formed for pin and slot connection at 66 with the rod 24:, -Wh61'8- by the foregoing switch mechanism may be operated by a suitable trip mechanism located at the other side of the switch frog, and connected to said lever 65 by means of a link 58, whereby a train leaving the siding for the main line may automatically set the switch points.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations thereover may be made, and I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction, or otherwise altering the arrangement of the correlated parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a railway switch, the combination with a pair of movable switch points of an arm pivotally mounted to move therewith, a lug on said arm, a bell crank having one arm bifurcated and in a position to receive the lug, a spring engaging the arm to move the same in a position to engage its lug in the bell crank, a second spring stronger than the first engaging the arm to retain the same out of such engagement, and means operable by a passing train for relieving the tension of the second spring to permit such engagement, and upon further movement to actuate the bell crank to move the switch point.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MELVIN L. BRANNEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentl, Washington, D. 0." 

